SIM card registration extended for 90 days

Haven't registered your SIM card?

The SIM card registration deadline has been extended for 90 days, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla announced on Tuesday, April 25.

This comes after local telecommunications companies Smart Communications, DITO Telecommunity, and Globe Telecom called for an extension of the period in order to accommodate users who have yet to complete the requirements for SIM registration, raising concerns such as the difficulty in providing government IDs and lack of digital literacy. 

Filipinos were initially given until Wednesday, April 26, to register their SIM cards in accordance with the SIM Card Registration Act.

Signed into law in October 2022, the SIM Card Registration Act aims to curb disinformation, anonymous online defamation, trolling, and libel, among others, and prevent terrorism, text scams, and bank fraud.

The first few days of registration, which began on Dec. 27, weren't as smooth sailing due to reported issues in the telco's websites. The situation had since improved in the following weeks, though the number of registered subscribers is still considerably low.

The National Telecommunications Commission said that as of April 20, only 75.5 million out of 168 million SIMs, or 45%, have been registered.